Dale Parkinson: Tell us how Denham voted on unethical attempt to gut ethics office

Jeff Denham’s wish came true. The Great Buffoon was elected president. Republicans control the federal government in total. Now there are two questions: How will Denham vote and how will The Bee cover his votes?

How did Denham vote on gutting the independent ethics committee for the House of Representatives? Will The Bee give this stronger coverage than a local high school football game? Denham’s votes do seriously affect the lives of the people of Stanislaus County. His votes deserve journalistic explanations starting on the front page. Will he vote to prevent healthcare for folks in the Modesto area? How many people in Stanislaus County will he vote to keep away from normal regular healthcare?

Please, facts and figures and examples will be needed for us to make an informed decision about voting for Denham yet again. If The Modesto Bee runs a noticeable series over the next two years on the effects of Denham’s votes the public can only be served well. Please don’t wait until a few months before the next election and then give us mostly mere “horse race” coverage. Freedom of the press is in the constitution to protect reporting on the government.

Editor’s note: Students at the the Stanford Law School Center for Legal Informatics polled all Republican members of Congress about their caucus vote to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics; Denham’s office refused to answer the question. Because the vote occured in a caucus, and not on the floor of Congress, it can remain secret.

This story was originally published January 5, 2017 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Dale Parkinson: Tell us how Denham voted on unethical attempt to gut ethics office."